


Netflix Trip

by anniesardors



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Dating, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29538696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anniesardors/pseuds/anniesardors
Summary: Jay and Hailey have their thing: They talk about the case, they drink a couple of beers and they watch some Netflix. But as the episodes of the show progress, so does their relationship.(Two-shot of following the evolution of Jay and Hailey’s relationship from partners to friends to more.)
Relationships: Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton
Comments: 22
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! This fic is a two-parter (it was supposed to be a one-shot and it got waaaay too long.) But it's one of my favorite things I've written so I'm not sorry.
> 
> It's based on the song "Netflix Trip" by AJR. It's this beautiful song where a guy is doing a timeline of the major events of his life based on what episode of "The Office" he is on. Go give the song a listen! It's wonderful. This fic is the same premise. It's nine key moments of Upstead's relationship as they do their thing that works and watch the Office together.
> 
> (You don't need to have seen the Office to understand this fic. But there are a few very small spoilers)
> 
> Enjoy!

**Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)**

It has already been a long day by the time Jay knocks on Hailey's door. It was one of those cases that never seemed to end: a dead kid, the parents were involved, the whole nine yards. There are a handful of cases that stick with Jay deeply, almost in a visceral way, and he thinks that this is going to be one of them.

So, when his partner invites him over to do their thing, he is thankful. If there was ever a time where he needed to talk and throw back a few drinks, it was tonight. However, as they sit at her kitchen table, cold drinks in front of them, mostly untouched, they find themselves in silence. Neither of them can think of any words to say to the other to provide comfort and neither of them can stomach the alcohol tonight.

After about fifteen minutes of sitting in silence, Hailey finally sighs and says, "I just want to forget."

She stands up and walks to her living room. Jay waits a moment, before pushing his glass away from him and following her. She grabs her laptop, pulling it open and plopping on the couch, making sure to leave enough room for her partner to join her.

"What are you doing?" He asks her as he tentatively sits down on the opposite side of the couch.

"Our normal thing isn't working. So we are going to watch something funny so we can both forget all the terrible things that happened today." She doesn't look at him, directing her attention on the bright screen.

A dry chuckle escapes his lips and he doesn't argue with her, instead asking. "What are we watching?"

"Honestly anything funny. Nothing cop-related either." She puts the laptop on the table in front of them so he can see it too.

"Movie?"

She shakes her head. "I don't think I have enough energy to watch something two hours long."

He nods. "So, I'm assuming you also don't have the energy to get into something new. So we're rewatching something?"

Hailey gives him a smile in response and it's in moments like these that he is extra thankful for a partner who understands him.

"Okay," Jay says. "We're going classic then." He pulls her laptop towards him and lightly taps away at her keys before placing the laptop back down, a familiar theme song filling the room.

"The Office?" She asks teasingly.

"You said you wanted something funny to forget. I can change it if-"

She waves her hand to stop him, setting her eyes on the screen. After a few minutes, she settles her head on the back of the couch and pulls her feet up under her legs. Jay eventually gets more comfortable too, his arm stretched out over the back of the couch, his hand just a few centimeters from her.

By the time Jim has put Dwight's stapler in Jello, Jay finds herself focusing a bit more on his partner than he is on the show. They have been partners for about a year and a half at this point and have done their thing countless times. Somewhere along the line, she stopped just being his partner and became one of his closest friends, if not one of the most important people in his life.

He remembers when he first met her, what a mess he was. Erin had just left and shortly after, the bullet from his gun killed Morgan. Before he knew it, he was at rock bottom, dating a drug dealer and lying to his boss. Throughout it all, he kept Hailey at arm's length. When they were first partnered up, he did not give her a fair shot, because he did not want a new partner. He wanted things to go back to the way they were.

But she did not give up on him. She remained by his side. She supported him. She comforted him. She pushed him.

The fact that he is still a cop (and honestly the fact that he is still alive) is a testament to Hailey.

The bond they have developed is strong. It's evidenced by tonight-their ability to just sit here in silence, an old comedy they have both seen countless times on the screen in front of them. Both find comfort in the fact that the other is just a few inches away. They don't need to talk about what happened today and they don't need to drink away the pain. They just need to be together.

She is special to him and there are times he thinks (no, he knows) that if they had any other profession, he would have asked her out by now because something about them just works. He can't think of another person who understands him the way she does and another person with whom he feels this safe. But their job is complicated and if he is honest, he is not quite sure what he feels towards Hailey, but he knows it's a bit more than one would typically feel for a partner.

"You good?" She asks quietly and he assumes she must have caught him staring.

"All good." He gives her a sure nod, turning his attention back to the screen, where Jim is leaning over the front desk to talk to Pam.

He has watched this show dozens of times, but this time, he thinks he feels for Jim a little more. It is hard to have complicated feelings for your best friend.

They watch 7 episodes before Hailey is starting to fall asleep on the couch and Jay chuckles because she didn't have enough energy to watch a two-hour movie, but two hours of The Office is a different story. But as they finish the first episode of Season 2, The Dundies, and Pam declares that she can feel God in the chilis tonight and gives Jim a drunken kiss, he is thankful for this new addition to their thing. He thinks he could get used to nights like this with Hailey.

* * *

**Casino Night (Season 2, Episode 22)**

It's late by the time he texts her, but he can't help it after the couple of days they have had. The tailgate feels like years ago and every waking moment since then has been filled with flesh-eating bacteria and fires and chaos.

It's late when he texts her, but he needs to know she is alright.

When he got the call from Will that Hailey had potentially been exposed to the flesh-eating bacteria, it took everything in him to not speed over to the hospital in that very instant. Guilt ate him alive the entire time she was in quarantine and even after she was released, he was still wracked with remorse. It had been his call for her to go to that house and if anything happened to her, it was on him.

Seeing her behind that plastic tarp was one of the worst sights he thinks he has ever seen. She hid it well, but he knew her better, and behind the blue of her eyes, he could see a glint of fear. He was sure he had that same look in his eyes, though, because every cell in his body was terrified of losing her.

He lets out a breath he did not know he was holding when he hears a knock on his door. He quickly moves to open the door, a small, relieved smile on his face when he sees Hailey on the other side.

"Hey." She says quietly as he lets her in.

"Hey."

There is an awkward silence for a moment as she stands in his entryway. "You good?"

"Yeah, just-" He pauses, trying to collect his thoughts. He is sure his face still screams worry to her, but he is trying to appear calm. "Long day. Kinda thought we could do our thing."

She gives a small hum and he knows it is not lost on her that he is reaching out for help here. It is not something he does often, showing how much this case, how much almost losing her, is really getting to him.

"You're still on antibiotics," Hailey states, referring to the medication Will prescribed him after he cut his arm with the deadly bacteria. "Are you supposed to be drinking?"

"Not really."

"Okay..." She pauses. "What episode are we on?"

They make their way to his couch, silence between them as they set up the episode on the TV. They have started doing their thing more frequently and even when they are both allowed to be drinking, they have found themselves watching a few episodes every now and then. He does not let himself think about the fact that most partners would not be binge-watching a show together.

"It really says something about us that we have already made our way through two seasons," Jay says as the cold open starts.

Hailey laughs softly. "What, that we have no personal lives?"

"Something like that."

A silence falls over them as they watch the episode unfold. The members of the office plan their Casino Night and Jim helps Pam pick a wedding band and through all the antics, Jay can't seem to shake the feeling of guilt and fear that he has been feeling since Hailey entered quarantine. He thought just having her sitting next to him, a few inches away on his couch, would be enough to ground him. Instead, her sitting here, curled up on his couch, laughing at the way Michael yells at Toby, makes him acutely aware of how close he came to losing her.

"I was really worried about you." He says softly. It takes her a few seconds to register that he is not talking about the episode and instead is referring to the ordeal they just survived.

"I'm okay, Jay. Docs cleared me." She is rational, but he just shakes his head.

"I sent you into that house." He continues, turning his body a bit on the couch so he can see her better. He rests his elbow on the back of the couch and moves his knee up on the cushion. "If something happened to you, it would have been my fault."

"But nothing happened."

"And that's good. Because I couldn't live with myself if something happened."

She doesn't respond at first. Her eyes connect with him and she stares at him for a few seconds as if taking in the meaning of his words.

"Nothing in me is mad at you." Her voice is soft and sincere.

Her words are different from the comforting words Voight told him "You were doing your job" or even those of Will "She knows you wouldn't send her in there if you knew." Her words hold a deep meaning- she is not mad and she does not hold this against him. She said once she would follow him blind and she means it still.

"Hailey-"

"When you were in there with Seldon," She cuts him off. "I didn't have the shot. I knew you were about to cut yourself with the bacteria and I didn't have a clear shot at Seldon." She pauses and he is not sure why she is telling him this, because it is not like this isn't something he already read in the case report.

"I was so mad." She continues. "Because you are my partner and I couldn't even take that damn shot to protect you. The entire time you were in there all I could think was that if something happened to you it would be my fault."

"That's not your fault, you know that." He reasons with her. "I cut my arm. That's on me."

"And I went in that house. I caught the victim."

He sighs because he knows the point she is trying to make. Their job is dangerous and there are times where they will not be able to protect each other, let alone themselves.

They are silent for a few moments, just letting the dialogue of the episode play in the background before Jay says "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise." There is a small smile on her face and he knows that she is telling him the truth.

"Good."

"Let's make a deal. We promise to look out for each other. I promise to not get myself killed. You promise to not get yourself killed. And then we end the day by doing our thing."

There is no point in fighting the smile that grows on his face. Because, while he knows that they have a dangerous job, he also knows that the woman sitting across from him is tough as nails. He also knows it will take all the powers in hell to separate them because their partnership is stronger than some infection.

"Deal."

She reaches her hand out to his, giving it a small squeeze before turning her attention back to the show. He notices that every few minutes, she glances her eyes over to him, checking if he is okay.

It's not until the end when Michael says that the hero gets the girl and that things will all work out that Jay relaxes. Because even if it's a show, he thinks there might be some truth to it.

* * *

**Beach Games (Season 3, Episode 23)**

"You know, you would have made a hell of a nurse?"

"Yeah yeah," Hailey yells back at Jay from her spot in his kitchen. "Just get Netflix set up, will you?"

"Would've needed to work on that bedside manner." He mutters. She turns to see him, her blonde ponytail swinging slightly. He is wearing the same black joggers and grey shirt that he had on when they left the hospital a few hours ago. When they got back to his place after she checked him out of the hospital, he begrudgingly took a nap, only because she threatened to break his good arm if he didn't.

While he was asleep, she cleaned a little bit and prepared some things he would need during his recovery. Apparently, a few days in the hospital was more than enough rest for her busy body partner and after an hour, he made his way back into the living room, plopping himself onto the couch and asking if she wanted to watch a few episodes with him before she left.

"Be happy I didn't become a nurse." She tells him as she takes a seat opposite him on the couch. "Then you wouldn't have the privilege of having me as your partner."

"And then I wouldn't have the best Netflix partner either." He shoots her a sweet smile as the episode starts to play, but she isn't buying it.

"You're just sweet-talking me so I'll let you have alcohol." She says with a laugh. "And it's not happening. Now watch your show."

He fake pouts before turning to look at the screen. It amazes her that they have done this thing enough that they are at the end of the third season of the show, but she rationalizes that the episodes are short and they often have the need to decompress after a case. She tries to ignore the fact that maybe they are this far into the show because they are now spending more and more time together and there is really no one else she is watching TV with.

She finds it hard to focus on the episode, despite the funny plot. As she watches the members of the office participate in the various beach games Micheal has set up for them, she can't help but think of the events of the past few days, namely almost losing her partner.

When they couldn't find him, she was terrified. There was a fire in her belly that she does not think she has felt about a case in a long time when she realized someone had taken Jay. And when she found him, there was peace, for just a moment, before it all went to hell. She does not think she will ever forget the sound of that gunshot or the way Jay looked, on the cement floor, bleeding out.

The vision of him laying on that yellow backboard being carried out of the house will haunt her forever.

She did not breathe again until he opened his eyes in the hospital. Overwhelming relief washed over her when Will came out to the waiting area to tell her that he was awake and she could see him. She does think she has ever been so excited to see her partner or that he ever looked better to her, scars and all.

"I can hear you thinking," Jay says, pulling her out of her trance.

"Sorry." She mumbles, trying to focus her attention back on the TV, but before she knows it, the picture is frozen and Jay is turning to her.

"What's wrong?"

"Noth-"

"Hailey." The look he gives her says he knows. He knows she is not okay. He knows that through these past few days, she has barely been hanging on.

"You broke our deal." She says, turning her body slightly on the couch so she can see him better. Out of habit, she runs her hand through her hair nervously, waiting for his response.

"I know. I'm sorry." His voice is genuine and soft. She looks up at him, eyes fixated on the cuts on his face. She opens her mouth to respond, but no words come out.

"Will told me that you never left the waiting room," Jay says to her after a few moments.

"I didn't."

"And Adam told me that you were ready to fight like a bat out of hell while I was missing."

Hailey sighs, trying to gather her words. "I-"

She can't come up with the words to explain the hurt, the fear, and the agony she experienced during the past few days. She knows he went through his own hell in that basement, but she walked through a hell of her own, almost losing him.

"You know there was this moment." He starts again. "It was after I came to in the basement. I thought 'once Hailey finds me, she is going to kill me.'"

Hailey can't help but laugh because of course that is one of the first things he thought when he was taken captive. It breaks her heart a little more to know that he thought of her while he was down there. She knows the unspoken truth of what he just said, though. He was concerned about her while he was down there. Because, when the roles were reversed and she was taken, he felt the same fear and pain.

"You've gotten hurt a lot." She says at last. "Some job I'm doing as your partner."

"Hailey, this isn't on you."

She gives a dry chuckle, because, while maybe she didn't cause it, she couldn't stop it. There have been countless times since they met where she could not protect her partner and if she can't do that, then what good is she.

"If something happened, I don't know if I could have forgiven myself." She whispers.

He awkwardly sits up, mindful of his sling, as he whispers "Come here," reaching for her with his good arm. She is unsure of what he is doing, but she trusts him, so she scoots closer. He wraps his free arm around her and pulls her close to him. They have never been those partners who hug and she thinks the only time they have been this close was one time in a van when bullets rained down on them. That fact does not stop him from wrapping his arm around her and leaning against the back of the couch, his arm rubbing her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for what I put you through." He whispers softly. "But I'm not going anywhere, trust me."

"Good. Because it's hard to find a good partner." She tells him and what she really means is _because we are good together_ and _I don't think I could survive without you_ , but just like the words she almost told him in the hospital room, these confessions go unsaid.

They sit there for a few minutes, neither of them talking. They enjoy the comforting embrace of the other and think about the fact that they are both still there and still alive. She doesn't notice at first when he turns the show back on, but she does notice that even when the episode is playing again, he does not remove his good arm from her shoulder.

He makes a comment when it's the scene where Pam confesses her love to Jim on the beach. "Their timing was always off, wasn't it?"

"What do you mean?" She asks, eyes still fixated on the screen.

"First she was with Roy, then he is with Karin. They almost missed their shot so many times. It's a miracle they wind up together."

She tries to tell herself that he is just talking about a TV series and his words do not have a deeper meaning. But don't they? Is he not saying that the two of them-Jay and Hailey- have missed their shot so many times? That their timing was always off and something always got in the way? Is he telling her that he knows what she was going to say in the hospital before she backed off and instead told him she was going to pull the car around?

"I think when it's supposed to happen, the timing works itself out." She says quietly. "No matter how many missed shots there are."

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see a small smile growing on his face, and it gives her a feeling of hope.

* * *

**Dinner Party (Season 4, Episode 14)**

"Jan is an actual psycho!"

Hailey can't help but laugh at the remark of her roommate. Vanessa's eyes are glued to the TV screen as Jay and Hailey just laugh at her reactions. The younger cop had walked in on Jay and Hailey doing their thing and while she had not intended to interrupt, the partners all but insisted that she join them, at least for one episode.

Especially when they found out she has never watched the Office.

Vanessa sat all the way on the right side of the couch, wrapped up in a blanket. The couch at Hailey and Vanessa's place was not too large, so they were all pretty close together. Hailey sat in the middle, pressed up against Jay's side. He had his arm casually draped against the back of the couch and every now and then, she could feel his hand accidentally brush against her back.

"Just wait." Jay hums softly, diverting his attention back to the screen.

"And here I thought all you two did was come home and drink. Who knew you had quality TV choices too." Vanessa laughs as she watches the chaotic dinner party unfold on the screen.

"What can we say?" Jay tells her. "We have a mean binge-watching game."

Vanessa and Hailey both laugh at his joke and Vanessa turns her head slightly towards the two detectives, splitting her attention between the show and them. "You know I've met a lot of cops, but none of them have a thing quite like you do. How did that even happen?"

Hailey shrugs. "We get a lot of bad cases. Just need to decompress sometimes, you know? It started with drinks and I guess it went from there."

Vanessa hums, seeming to accept the answer, before turning her head back to the screen completely. Hailey can feel Jay's gaze on her and when she tilts her head up slightly, there is a knowing smirk on his face. She rolls her eyes, looking back at the show without a word.

When the episode ends, Vanessa tells them she is going to go to bed and wishes them goodnight. Jay and Hailey sit there in silence for a few moments, unsure if they should start a new episode or if Jay should get going.

"I think we are well past the point where we do our thing with only bad cases." He says at last, a teasing tone in his voice.

She shakes her head, moving away from him a bit on the couch now that there is more room. "What did you want me to tell her, huh?"

"Didn't realize it mattered to you what people thought of us."

"You're ridiculous."

"You know what I think?" He leans forward a bit as if compensating for the fact that she moved away. "I think you like spending time with me."

"Yeah, no that can't be it." She tries to convince him, despite the laugh in her voice and the grin on her face.

He feigns offense, clenching his heart dramatically. "And here I thought you loved spending 20 hours a day with me."

"I tolerate you for 20 hours, does that count?"

"You're really kicking me while I'm down Hails."

"I'm kidding." She says, peeling herself off the couch and picking up the empty beer bottles on the coffee table in front of them. As she starts to make her way to the kitchen, she says. "You know you're the only person I would want to spend 20 hours a day with."

"Hailey Anne Upton. That just might be the nicest thing you have ever said to me." He is standing now, a goofy grin on his face.

"Don't use the middle name or I will take it back."

He just laughs, following her to the kitchen, resting his elbows on the island as she recycles the beer bottles.

"Can I be serious for a second?" He says, causing her to turn around.

"I'm not sure, can you?"

"Anyways," he rolls his eyes at her lame joke before continuing, "you're the only person I would want to spend 20 hours a day with too. I know I don't really say it a lot, but you're kinda my best friend."

"Jay Ale-"

"Don't" He holds up his hand as she starts to call him by his middle name, causing her to break out in giggles.

"Can adults even have best friends?" She finally asks him when she recovers from her laughing fit.

"Who knows. If they can, you're mine."

The way he says it, so sure and certain, makes something flip in her belly. She remembers a time when they were barely partners. When she was new in the unit and he was dealing with a few too many demons and they just couldn't seem to find a rhythm. She remembers the relief she felt after a few weeks when they started to realize they worked quite well together. And she remembers the first few times they did their thing when she stopped just seeing him as her partner and started seeing him as a friend.

And somewhere along the lines, he stopped just being a friend and he started being her best friend. If she is honest, what she feels for him, it is definitely more than what best friends should feel. She almost confessed it to him at the hospital and every day after that, those feelings have only grown stronger. But also, every day since then, she has had so many doubts, that maybe he does not feel the same way or maybe things will never work out for them.

But as he teases her in her kitchen and calls her by her middle name, she thinks that maybe they will eventually figure out whatever this thing is between them. Maybe it won't be tonight, but she knows they will get there eventually.

"Yeah." She says softly. "You're mine too."

* * *

**Weight Loss (Season 5, Episode 1)**

"Jay, we don't have to watch an episode if it is going to cause this much stress."

"Just give me another second, okay?"

The Facetime picture on his laptop is half-covered by his web-browser, but he can still see her rolling her eyes as she laughs off his last comment. In reality, it probably would be much easier to just not watch an episode tonight and instead just talk, but yesterday during what has become their daily Facetimes, Hailey mentioned to him that she was really missing home and really wanted to do their thing.

He didn't tell her that her words kept him up that night. The way she said "I honestly just want to be on a couch with you, a beer, and some Netflix right now" made his heart race in a way he did not think was possible. So naturally, after they hung up Facetime yesterday, he spent a ridiculous amount of time on google trying to figure out how two people could watch an episode together online when they were not physically together.

It has been three weeks since Hailey left for New York and while he hates not having her by his side every day, they have somehow shifted into a new normal. They text throughout the day and maybe he calls her on his way to work. And then there is the highlight of his day, their nightly Facetime, where he can see her smiling face and hear about how she is kicking ass in New York.

"Jay-"

"Got it."

The internet had told him he could share his screen using Skype, so he pulled out his old account he does not think he has used since Will lived in New York and they would Skype each other for their birthdays. It took a little finagling, but eventually, he could see Hailey's face on the skype screen along with his Netflix homepage. He quickly closes out of Facetime, but not without noticing the smirk on her face.

"What?"

"You are stubborn, you know that?" She mutters. He can tell she is in her hotel room and sitting on her bed, large white pillows behind her. She is in an old sweatshirt and her long blonde locks fall over her shoulders.

"And yet you continue to spend time with me."

"Yeah, sadly I think I am stuck with you at this point."

And for the second time in 24 hours, Hailey Upton is making his heart race.

He does not respond to her comment, mainly because he cannot string together a sentence that is coherent enough to hide the fact that he is affected by her words. The familiar Netflix intro plays and he finds a comfortable position on his couch, grabbing his phone off the side table.

"Don't tell me you are going to sit on your phone after how long you took to set up that episode." He hears Hailey's voice over the episode and he smiles.

"I was just checking it."

She hums, not buying it. "What, you texting some hot girl?"

There is a teasing tone in her voice and if he lets himself read into her words, it would almost sound like she is questioning if there is a girl in his life.

If only she knew.

"Well, yeah, actually, I was about to text you."

The small picture of her on his screen does not do her justice when her cheeks redden, seemingly embarrassed by his comment. He does not flirt with her that boldly most days, but when he does, he loves the response.

"You know, I'm literally right here. If you want to say something, you don't need to text me?" She says and he can tell she is trying to gather her thoughts.

"I don't want to talk over the episode." He tells her and she laughs because that is literally what he is doing at that exact moment.

"I think at this point, we spend more time talking during the episodes than actually watching them. I don't know why we keep watching."

"It's tradition." Is his simple response and by the way she doesn't respond, he assumes she accepts his answer.

"You know," She says after a few moments. "If I had not watched the past four seasons with you, I say you picked this episode on purpose."

In all honesty, it's quite ironic that this is the episode they are watching while they are hundreds of miles apart. In the episode, Pam and Jim, now a happy couple, are dealing with the realities of being long distance as Pam goes to New York City. The scenes playing out in front of them feel eerily similar to the reality Jay and Hailey are living through right now.

"Yeah, I'm not that smooth." He tells her. "Plus, I don't really need another reminder that you are gone."

"You've noticed?" There is a teasing tone in her voice because he knows that she knows the answer to that question.

"Have I noticed that there's not some blonde chick sitting across from me stealing all my pens?" He jokes back. "Yeah, I've noticed."

She shakes her head. He realizes that while the episode is taking up the majority of his screen, his eyes are still glued to the small section of the screen that is her. By this point, he has turned down the volume on the episode and he is not really sure why he even still has it on, because they both know neither of them is actually paying attention. But still, they let it play.

"Here I thought Jay Halstead was going to tell me that he misses me."

Ever since a phone call the two of them had the first week she was gone, where she let it slip that she missed him, they have both teased the other about who misses who. It started with him texting her immediately after they hung up that phone call "I knew that you missed me."

In a typically Hailey fashion, she texted back soon after with "Don't miss you anymore." After that, it was a normal banter between the two of them, joking about how much their partner must miss them.

"Yeah, well you're out of luck." The words are not even out of his mouth by the time she is shaking her head and rolling his eyes and the small mannerisms make him miss her even more.

"Come on Hails, you know I miss you."

She must be taken aback by his directness because she does not respond at first. Most of their conversations since she has been in New York have been flirty banter versus the serious conversations they would be able to have if she was home. He knows they both feel it-they are both aware of this growing thing between them and they both want to get to that next step, but not while she is 800 miles away.

"Even though I steal your pens?" A small, shy smile paints her face and he thinks to himself that this is a side of her he does not get to see at work. He only sees the shy or joking Hailey when they are alone, doing their thing, and he likes that this is a side of her that is reserved for him.

"Even though you steal my pens." He confirms and the grin on her lips grows.

They both look back at the show for a few moments. He does not turn up the volume because he knows there is no point, but they both have seen the show enough times to know what happens. When Jim is messaging Pam, asking her to meet him halfway between New York and Scranton, Hailey finally speaks.

"You going to do that?"

"Do what?" He asks, but knowing how the scene ends, he can't help but tease her a little. "Propose to you in a gas station parking lot?"

She shakes her head, pretending to be annoyed with him. "I meant ask me to meet you at some gas station?"

He is not quite sure what it is, but he feels bold tonight. Maybe it is the weeks of missing her or maybe it's seeing her smile on the screen. Whatever it is, he can't put his finger on it, but it's abundantly clear to him in this moment exactly how strong his feelings are for his partner.

"Trust me, I want to, but-."

"But we both have jobs and criminals don't take a day off I know." She cuts him off, fast words almost hiding the slightly nervous tone in her voice because he basically just told her he wants to see her.

"But, hey?" His voice is soft and serious and it almost does not feel like they are hundreds of miles apart. "Just three more weeks, right?"

"Three more weeks. And then I can steal your pens every day."

The episode is long over and they are somewhere in the middle of the second episode now, not that either of them is really paying attention. Jay has to put extra effort into not smiling like an idiot right now, because sitting here with her, laughing and joking, feels really good, even if they are separated by several states.

It makes him think that maybe one day, they won't be separated by any space at all. Maybe there will be a point where they will be sitting on his couch, wrapped up together, with an episode playing on the screen, but the two of them will still not be paying attention to the show. They will be too focused on each other.

And by the way she smiles when he looks back at her, it makes him feel truly happy for the first time since she left for New York.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I am BLOWN AWAY by your kind words from Part 1 of this fic. I can't even begin to say thank you enough for your support. This fic took several weeks to write and it has become my favorite thing I have written, so the fact you have all enjoyed and been kind enough to leave such sweet comments means the world.
> 
> And, without further ado, here is Part 2:

**The Lover, Season 6 Episode 14**

The sounds in the room are a mixture of the noise from the TV, her giggles, and his devious laughs. It was supposed to be a relaxing night in-a little Netflix, some beer, and only moving from the couch to the bed and nowhere else.

But at some point, Jay learned that if he pinches her side in just the right spot, she will start laughing like a child. And ever since making that discovery, he has not stopped.

"I'm going to hurt you." She tries to sound serious, but her laughter is betraying her as he continues to move his hands up and down her sides, finding the spots that make her squirm.

"Hmm, I highly doubt that." His body is on top of hers on the couch and there is a smirk on his face, clearly proud of the fact that he is able to make the serious Detective Upton giggle like she is.

"You should be scared."

"Oh, I am." He stops messing with her for a moment, propping himself up on his elbow, keeping his body on top of hers. Before she can process his movements, his lips are on hers, silencing her laugher with a kiss. The kiss is slow and lazy and when he traces her lips with his tongue, he can feel her tighten her hold on the hem of his shirt. She allows him entrance to her mouth, deepening the kiss.

When he pulls away, he quickly kisses her shoulder before shuffling to lay on his side next to her, pulling her body close to his on the small couch. She lays on her back, with her shoulder against his chest, his arm holding her securely against him.

It's been two weeks since they stood in a bar and talked about that FBI job offer. He still remembers the way his stomach was tied in knots from fear that night. But now, his stomach is filled with butterflies from the way she smiles at him.

Since then, it has been chaotic, to say the least. They have been hit with tough case after tough case not to mention her own personal matters with her father. But, somehow, they did not miss a beat. Ever the duo, they have taken everything in stride and their partnership has never been better.

And, if he is completely honest, it is a little bit easier to get through the chaos of work when he gets to go home with her at the end of the day.

He rests his head against hers as they watch Michael and Pam fight on the screen. Jay is barely aware of the plot, more focused on the way Hailey's hand is brushing against his arm. They are silent for a few moments, just enjoying the show and each other's company before Jay finally speaks.

"You know...I think this is our first time doing an actual Netflix and chill." He whispers into her ear.

She hums softly. "Maybe this was my plan all along. I asked you to binge-watch The Office with me two years ago so I could sleep with you."

His laugh shakes through his body and he can feel her body move against his. It still does not fail to amaze him how comfortable they have become with each other in the past two weeks. They went from partners who barely touched to a couple who needed to constantly be connected.

"I knew you always had a thing for me."

"Oh, you wish."

His grip on her tightens and he turns her body so it's completely facing him, her back to the TV. There is a loving look in her eyes that makes his heart race.

"You did tell me it's been a long time since you saw me as just your partner."

"This is why I don't tell you nice things," Hailey whispers. "You use them against me."

His hand finds hers and he gives it a squeeze before he says, "You never told me how long."

She makes a questioning face to see if he is joking, but when his serious face remains, she sighs. Wiggling out of his grasp, she sits up on the couch, grabbing his hand and pulling him with her. She turns her body on the couch so her knees are pressed against his thighs, her elbow resting on the back of the couch.

"You really want to know?" She asks and he quickly nods, a smile on his face. She shakes her head softly before telling him. "Only if you tell me how long it's been for you."

"Okay."

She doesn't say anything, instead just staring at him and he laughs. "What? You want me to go first?"

"Yeah!" She says it like it is the most obvious thing.

"I asked you!"

"And I told you I had feelings first!" She reasons with a giggle. "Your turn to go first Halstead."

He could argue back that he kissed her first, but if he has learned anything about Hailey Upton since he met her, it is that its futile fighting with her. He sighs and his hand finds its way to the back of his neck-an old nervous habit he has done since he was young.

"When I met you at that crime scene at the bank, the first thing I thought was 'who the hell does this chick think she is?'' He tells her, causing her to let out a loud laugh. It is true, he was taken aback by her boldness that first day, but she already knew that. He has told her countless times throughout their partnership that he was impressed by her abilities as a cop from the very beginning.

"And then we got partnered together and I was a hot mess-but from the very beginning I knew we worked really well together." He continues, remembering how far he spiraled in the early days of their partnership. He almost lost his job and almost got himself killed several times. But through it all, Hailey stood by him.

"When you very lovingly told me to go get therapy, I think I realized we weren't just partners." He elbows her side and she flashes a smile at him. "And then, after that, you somehow managed to weasel your way into my life and become my best friend."

"You sound so upset by that," She teases.

"Hated it." He cheekily tells her, even though there is a small ounce of truth. It was hard when he hit rock bottom and she kept pushing him to get better. He wanted to ignore her and do things on his own, but she would not let him. In the end, he is better because of her though.

"I think it was after that bombing case…with the war vet, Miller?" He tells her, referencing a case they worked together over a year into their partnership. That case had brought up a lot of difficult memories from his time overseas. "Anyway, when we went to go get beers after we wrapped the case, I remember you just sat there and let me tell you stories from my time in the didn't ask any questions and you didn't force me to talk about anything I did not want to. I think that's when I started to see you as something more."

He still vividly remembers that night in an old, nearly empty bar, as he sipped the beer that Hailey bought him. As he told her stories of his training and of Mouse and of the surface-level memories that he felt comfortable sharing, he was shocked by the way she just sat there and listened. In all of the time he had been back stateside, he could not remember anyone who was not a fellow veteran listening so intently to his stories. The way she cared about what he was saying-it had scared him.

"That was a long time ago," Hailey says softly. At some point during his answer, her hand found his, holding it in support. He takes a moment to pick up their joined hands, bringing them to his lips to place a quick kiss on the back of her hand.

"It was." His voice is soft as he lowers their hands and he cocks his head towards her. "Your turn."

"Well, how can I follow that?"

He squeezes her hand. "I think you'll manage."

"Okay...I think after the case with Booth was the first time I saw you as more than a partner. I mean, I trusted you from the beginning and I think I was confused about my feelings for a while, but it became clear after that case that you were going to be an important person to me. And then…" Her voice tapers off.

"You started dating Adam?" He says gently, no malice in his voice.

"Well, yeah, but that's because someone had to go play cowboy and get himself shot."

"My bad. If I knew my getting shot was going to put a hold on us getting together, I would have been a bit more careful."

"Only a bit?"

"Hailey, it's me. I can only be so careful." She swats at his arm and he chuckles. He is happy that she laughs about this all now because whenever he thinks about that case after his father died, he thinks about how bad he feels for treating her so terribly. It hurts a little bit more now knowing that she was already dealing with her own complicated feelings for him.

"Anyway-" There is a fake annoyance in her voice. "I was confused pretty much the entire time I was with Adam. I mean we weren't supposed to be serious and he was clearly also confused about his feelings for Kim. And then we ended things and you and I kept getting closer and I just kept getting more and more confused about my feelings."

"When did you stop being confused?" He asks.

"When you got shot again." She chuckles because it is really ironic how the several times he got shot hold such significance for her and the development of her feelings.

"It was there in the waiting room. I just knew." She pauses, sucking in a low breath, before continuing, her eyes glancing down at her lap. "I almost told you how I felt the night you got released."

He remembers the night well. Her helping him into his jacket in such a caring way it made him feel safe for the first time since he was shot. Her saying she wanted to tell him something with such a soft look in her eye that he thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest right there. He remembers the hope he felt that maybe, she was going to say what he had wanted to say so many times.

"Why didn't you?" He asks her, even though he thinks he knows the answer. It was his damn phone that rang. He was an idiot and checked it. He checked his phone when he should have just ignored it and focused on her.

Knowing what he knows now, he wishes more than anything that he could go back and not check that phone.

"Got scared." She shrugs. "Your phone rang and then I started overthinking things and I wasn't sure how you felt or if I was ready or if we were ready….so I just didn't say anything."

He thinks back to those weeks after he got shot. If they were close before that, they were glued to each other's hips afterward. He does not know how it was possible, but they started spending even more time together than they already did. Whether it was late nights after work doing their thing or weekends crashing on the other's couch, Jay started spending more of his time with Hailey than he spent with anyone else.

"We had a lot of missed chances, didn't we?" He finally says. The memory is fuzzy, but he remembers them talking about timing and missed chances when he initially got shot. He made some comment about how Jim and Pam could never get their timing right. In the aftermath of his accident and her starting to tell him something in the hospital and changing her mind, he was scared that this thing between them would never happen.

But Jim and Pam worked out and so did they.

And now, sitting here with her beside him, he thinks back to all of those missed chances. He remembers almost telling her how he felt one day when they were in the break room and Kelton was about to be elected Mayor of Chicago. Then, she almost told him in the hospital. And then, when she left for New York, he wanted nothing more than to tell her how he felt before she left, but he knew that was not fair.

Those were the big moments. But there were also random days when they sat at their desks and she stole one of his pens or kicked him under their joined desks when he wanted to blurt it out and tell her. There were rides in his truck where her laugh filled the silence or mornings where he brought her coffee and she gave him a small appreciative smile where he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

There were so many moments, but it took a job offer from the FBI to finally push them over the edge.

"But it all worked out in the end, right?" Hailey whispers and he can't even find any words to show her how much he agrees with what she has said, so he just kisses her.

Because sometimes it takes a few seasons, but eventually, you get it right.

* * *

**PDA, Season 7 Episode 16**

Hailey does not even look back when she hears the door slam a little louder than she intended. She makes a beeline for the couch as Jay goes to the kitchen in silence. Grabbing the remote and plopping herself on the far right side of the couch, she turns on their next episode of The Office with a huff.

After she skips the theme song and the episode starts to play, Jay comes into the living room, setting a plate with a single piece of pizza in front of her before sitting on the opposite end of the couch.

"I said I wasn't hungry." She mutters, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"Yeah well, you haven't eaten since breakfast, so you're having a slice." There is frustration in his voice and she is sure he does not want to be watching TV right now, but she honestly is not in the mood to actually talk to him at the moment.

Over the past ten months that they have been dating, they have done a good job of keeping the work and the personal separate, but they had their moments. After particularly hard cases, it was difficult to not let the sadness and stress come home with them. But rarely did a workplace argument spill over into their off-time.

But then there was today.

It started with a disagreement about an undercover op. They needed to send someone into a club to get information on a human trafficking ring. Hailey thought she should go in, Jay disagreed. Voight overruled Jay's opinion though and they sent Hailey in. From there, the disagreements only continued. They disagreed about how Hailey should play the part, about who she should talk to, and how hard she should press.

With each disagreement, they were respectful. When Voight made a final order, the other took it with grace and did not argue. Both Voight and Hailey were hot to move while Jay was being a bit more cautious. They were not major disagreements, just differences of perspective. But, the unspoken conversation they had with their eyes was loud and it was clear neither was happy with the other. They both made a few unnecessary comments under their breath but did their best not to let their frustration show to the rest of the team. But it all boiled over when Hailey got hurt today.

It was nothing, really, just a few cuts and scrapes she got when they tried to apprehend the suspect and he got a little jumpy. Today's injuries did not even make the top ten for her injuries list and when Sylvie and Mackey checked her out, they did not even try to convince her to go to Med to get checked out further. But still, Jay seemed even more frustrated by her injury than he was throughout the whole day. She could see it in his eyes-he was angry.

The drive to the apartment that they got together a few weeks ago was quiet, neither of them ready to have the inevitable fight that was brewing. Hailey did not know why she was mad or why Jay was mad or why they could not seem to see eye to eye on this case. Thankfully, Voight had not said anything, because the last thing they needed was the threat of one of them losing their job on top of everything.

They both stare at the TV in silence and Hailey begrudgingly takes a few bites of pizza. It's silly that she is frustrated about the fact that even when he is mad, he still takes care of her, but this whole argument is petty, so she does not budge.

They watch as Jim and Pam get a little too drunk at their Valentine's Day dinner and as Michael and Holly try to figure out how they are going to make their relationship work long distance. When the latter couple decides they are going to move in together, Jay gets up with a huff, making his way back to the kitchen to put his empty plate in the sink.

"You just not going to talk to me all night?" Hailey says from her spot on the couch. She knows it is probably not the best way to start the conversation, but she has to get the ball rolling somehow.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Hailey." He calls out through gritted teeth.

"How about you tell me exactly why you've been pissed all day?" Finding the remote, she pauses the show and turns around on the couch, leaning her arms against the back so she can watch him in the kitchen.

"I'm not mad." He simply states.

"Yeah, clearly."

Jay lets out a frustrated sigh as he leans against the counter. "You were reckless today and got hurt. You don't get to be reckless."

This gets her going. She pops up from her seat, walking around the couch to stand in front of him as she speaks, "I was not reckless, I was doing my job. The suspect got a little rough but I'm fine. And I don't think you get to be on my case about being reckless Mr. I got shot twice in one year."

"And we're back to that!" He throws his hands up exasperatedly.

"You were pissed before that." She points out as she crosses her arms. "What? You pissed that Voight went with my plan instead of yours? You can't handle the fact that I am just as good a detective as you?"

It's a low blow, she knows that, but she needs him to tell her what is going on. He won't open up to her and he has been acting weird all day and she is just so tired and angry that she seems to completely lose her filter.

"You know that's not it." His voice is low, gravely almost, and his eyes are dark.

"Then what wa-"

"It was dangerous!" His exclamation is emotional, but she is taken aback by the way he does not raise his voice, he does not yell.

Never one in their dating relationship has he yelled at her. He has been frustrated, he has been pissed, he has said some things that he regretted. But he always makes it a priority to not yell at her, even when he is angry.

"It was a dangerous job and I was scared and I was pissed because as your partner I don't get to be concerned about your every move," Jay explains, but Hailey is not following. She shoots him a questioning look, eyebrow raised, and he sighs, his body language softening a bit.

"I know you are a good detective. You can take care of yourself. I have seen you do it. But I still worry every time you go out without me, especially when you are undercover. And it pisses me off that as your work partner, I can't be worried about you all the time. Because as your boyfriend, I don't want you to be in a dangerous situation. But I don't want to tell you what to do and-"

His voice trails off and he shakes his head as if trying to make sense of his own ramblings. Seeing him so worked up, so anxious about her being undercover, she feels bad about the way she has been with him all day because he was just worried.

It's the hard part about being professional and personal partners- things are always dialectical. As work partners, they trust each other one hundred percent. As personal partners, they don't want the other going into unsafe situations, no matter how much trust there is. As work partners, they need the other one to be willing to take risks for the sake of the case. As personal partners, though, they want the other one to be as safe as possible, case be damned.

"Jay-"

"I get it's irrational." He continues. "I get that I can't hover and I trust you, Hailey, I really do." His voice starts to crack and she takes a step closer to him, still leaving a small gap between their bodies. "It just keeps getting harder to see you in those situations because every day I have more to lose. Every day I love you more and every day I want a future with you more."

It takes everything in her to not reach out and hug him right now and kiss his worries away, but something in her gut tells her that is not what he needs. She gazes up at him and his eyes are watering and she thinks it is one of the few times she has seen him cry.

"I wish I could tell you something more reassuring, but that is just the crappy part of our job." She says at last in a soft tone. "We are going to be in dangerous situations and we are both going to be overly worried and it's going to piss off the other person."

"I wasn't trying to piss you-"

"Well, you did." There is no malice in her voice, just understanding for him and when her eyes catch his, she knows he understands. "But I get it. I feel it every time you go out alone or every time I know the case is getting to be too much for you."

He visibly softens at her words and reaches out for her hand, leading her to the couch. They sit close, their knees lightly pressed against each other, but they still feel miles apart.

"So, what do we do? Because I don't think I am going to stop worrying." He whispers to her feverishly after a few moments. "I think I am just going to keep worrying more."

Hailey runs her hand through her hair, an old nervous habit that will die hard. "We talk to each other. So we don't carry it all alone."

A dry chuckle escapes his lips because just "talking" sounds so easy, but it does not stop the worry and it does not stop the danger.

"I was talking to Joe Cruz last night." He tells her and confusion grows on her face, unsure why he is bringing up who he talked to at Molly's last night in the middle of a fight.

"He rarely gets out anymore, but Chloe apparently had one of her friends over," Jay explains to her. "He was showing me videos of Brian. He apparently just started laughing and it's adorable."

A smile curls on Hailey's lips at the mention of baby Brian, Joe and Chloe's son, named after the infamous Brian Zvonecek, better known as Otis. The five-month-old was a light to Firehouse 51 and while Hailey was not close with Chloe, the few times she has interacted with the baby boy, the cuteness of the child made her heart soar.

"It got me thinking a lot." Jay goes on. "What happens when we have a kid? And I know we're nowhere near that point, but it was just on my mind, and then there was this case and it was all just too much."

It makes sense now. His insistence on keeping her safe, why he was on edge when she continued to push and take risks. Why he was frustrated and hurt when she got injured. It was because losing this life they have built together, losing the future they have talked about, it was all too overwhelming.

She has felt the fear too. Sometimes, in the night, when she can't sleep, she stares up at the ceiling and thinks of a small baby boy with freckles and green eyes, and never in her life has she missed someone so much that she has not even met. Or on long car rides, she thinks of a young girl who has Jay wrapped around her finger in much the same way Hailey does.

She thinks of a wedding and a house and children and all of it. And while the thoughts make her excited, they make her scared too. Because one wrong move at work and all those plans are gone.

"We can't think like that, Jay." She whispers. "We take each day as we get it. Our jobs can suck, but we have to choose to be happy. Choose to believe that things are going to be okay."

She never was one for "believing things will be okay" because oftentimes in her life, they were not. Belief was not enough to make her father stop drinking and hope was not enough to make the abuse stop. But with Jay, it's different. She can feel it in her bones that this is it for her. He is the person she is supposed to be with, the person whose soul matches hers, and it might sound cheesy, but deep down she knows they are going to have a long happy life together.

And of course, she can't know that for certain. But she chooses to believe that they will, despite it all.

"What you and I have, it's special." She grabs his hand, her eyes glued to his. "We worked so hard for this and it's going to take way more than some criminal or accident at work to ruin what we have. We are going to be happy, you hear me?"

The corners of his lips curl up in a small smile and his now red eyes seem to lighten up. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"We're amazing." She corrects him and when he laughs, she knows he is feeling better. "We are going to worry and we are going to fight about work. But we are a team and a damn good one. We're going to be okay."

The words are barely out of her mouth by the time he all but tackles her onto the couch, kissing her desperately, his lips seeking out hers like a magnet. She hums happily against his kiss, holding him close to her.

"I love you." A breathy whisper meets her ear and sends tingles down through her body.

"I love you too."

He shuffles them on the couch so she is laying on top of him, her head resting on his chest, his hand rubbing her back softly. "You wanna turn the show back on?" He asks her in a low murmur, his lips pressing a soft kiss to her hair.

"Think I'd rather do something else."

They already know how the episode ends anyway.

* * *

**Pam's Replacement, Season 8 Episode 7**

"How is it possible that we have gotten slower with watching this show?" Hailey laughs as they settle down onto the couch after a long day of work. "We weren't even dating when we started this and yet we somehow still watched it more in the beginning."

"Probably because we can't get through more than an episode without getting distracted by something else." He raises his eyebrows at her suggestively, making her laugh harder as he drapes his arm across the back of the couch.

"And they say the magic dies after you get married."

Married. The word still seems foreign every time she says it, and yet here they are, three months newly married. If someone told her when she walked into that credit union all those years ago, high on confidence as she took Hank Voight head on that this was how that story was going to play out, she would have thought they were crazy.

But somehow, it was not crazy. Because that case turned into a job offer and that job offer turned into a home. That case with Robbery-Homicide brought her a partnership she was not expecting, a partnership that knocked the wind out of her. That partnership turned into a friendship and somewhere along the line, that friendship turned into love.

And now, here they were, all these years later, happily married.

They are both still in Intelligence and they are eternally grateful to Hank for not splitting them up. Platt often says it is because he does not want to deal with Jay moping around because he does not like working with other people, but it is clear to everyone that, despite all the changes in their personal lives, they still make incredible partners.

In some aspects, like their partnership, it still feels like things have not changed. In other areas, it feels like everything has changed. Voight has started to talk more and more about retiring and has told Jay to start studying for the Sergeant's exam. Hailey still remembers the day Jay came home and told her that Voight wanted him to sit for the exam, the way he was nervous, yet a small glimmer of hope shined through on his face. She, of course, told him to do it, because she knew deep down he was destined for greater things.

It has been a hectic few weeks, between the wedding and him preparing for the Sergeant's exam, but Hailey is thankful that they still find time to do their thing. Today was not a particularly hard day at work-the case was simple and they are close to making an arrest. But, it was still one of those days where, when they came home, they knew they just needed a relaxing night in the other's arms.

"You gonna replace me like that?" Hailey asks, gesturing to the TV. It's the episode where Cathy comes to replace Pam, who is about to go on maternity leave. It is clear from the character's first appearance that she is attracted to Pam's now-husband, Jim. Hailey can't help but take a moment to tease Jay about the whole encounter.

"You trying to tell me you need to take some time off from Intelligence?" He jokes, his hand finding its way to her shoulder and rubbing it gently.

"No. And I will not be needing that time off for a while." She laughs at his suggestion that she is pregnant and has decided to tell him while watching an episode of The Office because even while the show was an important part of their relationship, it was not that important. "Just wondering."

"You know I love you too much to replace you." He smiles at her gently, kissing the side of her head. "Besides, I don't think anyone else would want to put up with me, so there's that."

She snickers playfully, bumping her knee against his. "I barely want to put up with you."

"And yet you married me?"

Hailey shrugs. "Already spent all my time with you, figured might as well get married and get some tax benefits."

Jay's eyes roll as he shakes his head. "I'm happy that this is a marriage of convenience."

Hailey pinches his side and he tries to swat her hand away, a playful look of warning on his face. She lets out a loud laugh before resting her head on his chest. "I'm serious, though. A lot of stuff is going to change."

"Like what?" His attention glances between her and the screen.

"You're eventually going to become a Sergeant. And you're eventually gonna get me pregnant."

His eyebrow is suggestively raised when he looks at her again and she just swats his chest. "Don't make some comment about that last part, I am trying to have a serious conversation here."

Jay shifts on the couch slightly so he can see her better. Her body is still leaning against his, but now her head is resting slightly on his shoulder so she has a better view of his face. "A lot is going to change." He agrees. "But a lot has changed in the past few years, and we always make it work. We're good partners, so whatever comes, we've got it. Together."

The edges of her lips curl up in a smile, "When did the Jay Halstead become such an optimist?"

"Probably around the same time I tricked my super hot partner into falling in love with me." He teases, but somewhere behind the flirty tone, there is clear truth in his words. "Made me see that miracles do happen."

"You really are whipped, aren't you?" The words are barely out of her mouth by the time he is wrapping her even closer to him, squeezing her body tight in a playful manner as a fit of giggles escapes her lips. She tries to wiggle out of his grasp, but he holds her tight in a bear hug, kissing her cheeks and neck.

"What can I say," He finally speaks when he needs to catch his breath, his arms still very much around her. "I found my person."

She shakes her head, because it seems like, with every passing year, he becomes more of a softy. Don't get her wrong, he is still a tough as nails, gritty detective all day. But she finds that as their relationship progresses, he seems to only get softer with her.

"I'm serious, Hails. Whatever happens, a baby, a promotion, any of it. We'll be fine. We got each other and that's all we need."

Hailey is about to respond, but he kisses the words off her lips. As he deepens the kiss and starts to lay her down on the couch, she thinks she can understand how he has become such a hopeless romantic. She also clearly sees why their binge-watching has slowed so much, because it is getting very hard to get through a full episode without getting distracted by each other.

* * *

**Finale, Season 9 Episodes 24 and 25**

Netflix is up and ready by the time Jay gets home from work and he smiles when he sees his sweet wife sitting on the couch, two plates of food ready for them to enjoy. It is strange going to work every day without her, but it makes coming home to see her even sweeter.

He greets her with a quick kiss before shrugging off his jacket and plopping down on the couch next to her. "You didn't have to do all this."

She shrugs off his comment as she turns on the episode and hands him a plate of food.

"Going stir crazy, huh?" He asks her knowingly.

"It's been three days, Jay. I'm going to lose it."

As she starts the episode, it hits Jay that this is one of the rare times that they are doing their thing despite not working a case together. He thinks that the only other time they did their thing after not spending the whole day together was when she was in New York working with the FBI several years ago. Every other time, they were glued to each other's side all day and then went home to decompress together.

And while Jay misses his favorite partner at work, as he rubs her growing belly, he is okay with the fact that they have to deal with a little bit of separation.

"You said it was a long day?" She asks, referring to a text he sent her at lunch where he said that the case was a tough one and he wished she was with him. He assumes that is what spurred her to set up their thing tonight-dinner, Netflix, and a night on the couch.

No alcohol though. When Hailey gave up alcohol a few months ago after they found out she was pregnant, Jay said he was going to be sober with her. At first, she scoffed, because the man loved a good beer.

But he loved his wife and growing daughter more and true to his word, Jay had not had a drop since she told him the good news.

"It was." He says in between bites of food. "But I'm all good now. This is just what I needed."

She hums happily as she picks up her food, glancing her attention between him and the screen, like always, because even after all this time, they still don't really focus on the show.

"How are my girls today?" He asks, giving an amused laugh when she groans.

"By the way she has been kicking me all day, I can already tell your daughter is going to be a handful."

His daughter. The words still send chills through his body. He remembers when Hailey told him, surprising him with a small onesie that had a police badge on it and said "I'm proof that mommy can't resist policemen." It took him a few seconds to process the gift before he was kissing her wildly and holding her tight, whispering "Are you for real?" and "I love you" in her ear.

And here she was now, eight months pregnant, and newly on bed rest. As soon as they found out, Hailey had switched to desk duty. Hailey hated not being in the field, but she did not want anything to happen to the baby. Voight kept her in the unit a few days of the week to help with paperwork and warrants and her other days were spent at the 911 call center. But now, with her due date approaching, Hailey's doctor all but forced her to go on bed rest and "take it easy."

But Jay knows his wife and the words "take it easy" are not in Hailey Halstead's vocabulary.

As they finish eating, Jay puts their empty plates on the coffee table in front of them and reaches out to hold her. His arm finds its way across her shoulders and his other hand makes its way to the rest on her stomach.

"We're finally on the finale," Hailey says, nodding at the screen. They are watching as the members of the Office talk about their documentary on a panel and it brings him back to when they started watching the show together, all those years ago.

"Yeah...we've been through a lot with this show." Jay hums in agreement.

"You getting sentimental?" Hailey pokes at his side playfully. "You gonna want to name our kid Dwight or something?"

Jay shakes his head with a laugh. "I would never settle poor little Jay Jr. with that name."

"For the last time, we are not naming our daughter Jay," Hailey says with an exasperated sigh that he knows is all for show.

It's been a running joke since they found out she was pregnant. He used to say they should name the baby "Jay Jr." and they could call the child JJ. Hailey said she only had the patience for one Jay in her life and that was that. Nevertheless, the joke persisted, even when they found out they were having a girl.

"It's a nickname!" He reasons. "For Jessica or Jasmine or-"

"No."

He kisses the top of her head instead of arguing with her because arguing with Hailey is always futile, but when she is pregnant, it is not something he would dare do.

"Remember when we started the show?" He points the conversation back to where she was originally going. "We were so much younger."

"If only we knew then that when we finished the show that I'd be pregnant with your kid." She says with a small laugh.

"And married." He adds. "And pretty damn happy."

"Yeah," she smiles up at him. "Very happy."

He remembers the first night they started this show because even though at the time it might have felt like a small moment, in reality, it was the beginning of so much more for them. It was while watching this show that he fell in love with his best friend.

"You know, back then I was pretty confused about my feelings." He tells her, rubbing her belly, his eyes on the bump that is a sign of their love. "But now, I know I love you. More than anything."

"I love you too." She leans up to kiss him softly and he savors the feel of her lips on his because even after all these years, he can't get enough of her.

They watch as the members of the office recount the past nine years of their lives, how their lives have changed and they have grown up. It feels cheesy, but Jay can relate to this because since he and Hailey started watching the show together, he knows the same concept is true for them.

Things have changed. They have grown up. They have fallen in love.

A few years ago when they started this show together, they were just partners. Slowly, but surely, though, they became best friends and before they knew it, best friends became lovers. He thinks back to a younger Jay, who was not sure if his partner would ever feel the same way for him and he wants to smack some sense into him and tell him to ask her out sooner because this life with Hailey is everything he has ever wanted and more.

But he knows that things worked out the way they were supposed to. The greatest joy he has had in this life is knowing Hailey, then falling in love with her and building a life with her. It is sometimes hard to see how the future is going to work itself out, like in season one when Jim so badly wanted to get the girl and he thought it was not possible. But, Jay has learned that, in those moments, you just have to have a little faith.

Jay glances down at Hailey as she smiles at the ending scene, where the members of the office say goodbye to each other and move onto new adventures. He has seen this scene several times before and yet, this time it hits differently because it almost feels like the end of a journey for him and Hailey. They have been through so much during the past years and so much of their relationship has been defined by them doing their thing-sitting on the couch, watching an episode, drinking a beer, and being with each other.

But as her hand rests over his on her growing belly and he feels his baby girl kick, he knows that this is not the end. There are still many more stories to be told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @anniesardors for more fics, to leave prompts, and to talk all things upstead!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr anniesardors for more!
> 
> Stay tuned for Part 2!


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